Ford Offices in Germany Raided, Report Says
By Michelle Krebs December 13, 2010Public prosecutors in the city of Cologne, Germany, home of Ford's European operations,
today raided company offices and homes of an unspecified number of Ford staff and suppliers as part of an investigation into alleged kickbacks, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Ford is not the target of the investigation but is cooperating with authorities and is seeking compensation from the suspects for possible damages, the paper reported.
Prosecutors in Cologne said around 100 police officers raided sites linked to Ford's German unit related to a corruption probe. Searches were carried out at Ford plants, at an unidentified company in the nearby city of Leverkusen and at about 30 other locations, including homes. One person has been arrested, according to public prosecutor Christina Pohlen quoted by the Wall Street Journal.
The prosecutors' office said it had been working since September on the investigation. Some Ford staff are suspected of regularly receiving "material advantages" from companies that work with the auto maker or which sought contracts with it. In exchange, the Ford workers allegedly favored benefactors when contracts were being decided upon or established false bills in their favor, the paper reported.
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